Odisha Tattoo Artist Arrested Over Lord Jagannath Tattoo Placement on Foreigner

A tattoo of Lord Jagannath on a foreign woman's thigh led to legal action and public apologies after religious sentiments were reportedly hurt.

Police in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, arrested a tattoo shop owner and his assistant for creating a tattoo of Lord Jagannath on a foreign woman's thigh, considered an inappropriate placement by devotees.
The tattoo became widely known after the shop owner shared a video of the process on social media, prompting outrage from Jagannath devotees and legal complaints.
The foreign woman, identified as an Italian national working for an NGO, and the tattoo shop owner issued public apologies, expressing regret for the incident.
The woman explained she requested the tattoo on her thigh due to workplace restrictions on visible tattoos and assured she would remove or cover it once the area heals.
Legal charges were filed under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for actions allegedly intended to outrage religious feelings, though no action was taken against the foreign national.